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Patricia Kennealy-Morrison - FAQ 42
Why do the books say Kennealy-Morrison now? I had wanted to use both names from the first, but people (my agent, my editor) advised me against it, saying I would only set myself up as a target for all sorts of assholic busybodies to take cheap shots at -- how did they KNOW??!!:) -- and in those early days of authorhood I didn't wish to be accused of using Jim's name to establish myself, but preferred to rely on my own name and talent. (Though I have always used 'Patricia Kennealy Morrison' on the copyrights, where the discerning and the right-minded and the observant could see and deduce the truth...) Then, after I wrote Strange Days, and was out of the broom closet as a witch, and had publicly claimed my place beside Jim upon the Lizard Throne, I thought it was high time to add 'Morrison' to my professional name -- as a way of honoring him, not myself -- and also because certain people were being so obnoxious about my claim to the name to begin with. And though I describe myself privately as Jim's wife (after all, he did, and he should know who his wife is...), and him as my husband (ditto), I have NEVER, publicly or privately, styled myself 'Mrs. James Morrison', but always 'Patricia Kennealy Morrison' or 'Patricia Morrison'. So, basically, I just had had enough, and I decided to shove it up their noses so hard it would break on through to the other side of their sinuses, and I had both names put on all my new books, and also retroactively, as they went back to be reprinted; though out of pure cussedness I will probably leave it 'Kennealy' forever on Strange Days itself...though I reserve the right to change it as the others, and I may even choose to write as 'Patricia Morrison,' at least on future non-Kelts books, and especially if people continue to annoy me by not using the hyphenate. Let 'em have both barrels! (It's hyphenated only as a professional name, by the way; that's so it's still alphabetized under 'K'.) And just to clear up a certain misconception apparently prevalent among the lackbrained or the ill-disposed: I did not use 'Morrison' on Days because it was not yet the right time to begin using it. After Days was published, it was, and I did. I considered it, of course, when the book was in production, and I even have a mockup jacket with all three names on it (very crowded layout!); but in the end I decided against it, and anyone who claims the Morrison family objected or set lawyers on me to keep me from using it on Strange Days is full of seven different sorts of crap. They have no say whatsoever in what I choose to call myself, and I have been LEGALLY 'Patricia Morrison' -- NOT 'Mrs. James Morrison' -- since December 1979. It's the name on the passport, the tax forms, the will, the book contracts, the copyrights, the credit cards, the bank accounts -- you can't get much more legal than that. Besides, Jim himself used it to me, as you will see in Fireheart...if you live that long. The decision not to use the M-name on Days was entirely my own, not based on legality, and could just as easily have gone the other way. In fact, I could have called myself Patricia, Queen of Fucking Sheba on the jacket, and it would have been legally kosher... I have NEVER, at any time, for any reason, heard one single word from Jim's family or Pam's family or any of their mouthpieces or minions as to my use of his name, the contents of Days or anything else. Such contact would mean they would have to acknowledge (1) my existence, (2) my connection to Jim, and (3) Jim's connection to me; and that, I feel confident in saying, is something they will never do, at least not in this life...which is just fine, by the way, with both Jim and me. Some people, if I can call them that, still accuse me of capitalizing on Jim's name -- No matter what I do, I can't win, so I will just please myself and Jim, and the hell with the yobs and the scumbags. It's legal, folks! Whether you like it or not! There's not a damn thing you can do about it! Bite me!! at your peril, perhaps... In spite of what jealous vitriolic slanderers spew in fanrags or to anyone who dares defend me on-line, I do NOT do black magic or put evil spells on people -- never have, never will; that kind of thing, tempting though it may momentarily be, is a colossal waste of time and energy, and it only gets you in worse trouble in the end -- but nevertheless it is instructive to see what has befallen those who've wronged Jim and me in the past: Pamela Courson -- dead; Paul Rothchild -- dead; Max Fink -- dead; Albert Goldman -- dead; Oliver Stone -- national punchline, divorced, boring and weird, now making strange and unaccountable directing decisions; Val Kilmer -- divorced, now making strange and unaccountable acting decisions (you gave up BATMAN!? Well, maybe it was just one cartoon-character role too many -- 'Jim' being the first -- though director Joel Schumacher said in a published interview that Val was actually FIRED from Batman and Robin for being "an a.....e", which sure sounds right to me, and the stories of his bizarro antics on the set of The Island of Dr. Moreau, which rightly sank, were many and horrific -- he allegedly stubbed out a burning cigarette on a cameraman's face; co-star Marlon Brando was quoted as having told him, "Don't confuse the size of your talent with the size of your paycheck"; and embattled director John Frankenheimer, on completing Val's last shot, reportedly shouted "Wrap! Now get the bastard out of my sight!"); Frank Lisciandro -- divorced, reportedly peddled interviews about Jim for cash at the 50th birthday celebrations in Paris; ex-gofer -- ongoing drug problems, though I'm told he says he's clean now again (again...again...), hooked his wife on heroin on their honeymoon (actually admitted to on national TV!), strangely unable to complete a long overdue contracted-for book; Carolco movie studio, who made THAT movie -- bankrupt and destroyed... You get the drift. Mind you, I have nothing to do with this; I'm not taking credit for any of it (well, except maybe for Goldman...). No, it's all their own bad karma. I don't have to lift a finger, they do it to themselves; I just sit back with my feet up and watch, a karma mirror. But really now: How else are they ever gonna LEARN? :)